


Boiling Up

by KandiSheek



Series: Kinktober 2019 [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Angst, Bonding, Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Fix-It, Hopeful Ending, Kinktober, Kinktober 2019, M/M, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Omega Tony Stark, Pheromones, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Rutting, Scents & Smells, True Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 18:43:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20980592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KandiSheek/pseuds/KandiSheek
Summary: Bucky couldn't remember his last rut.Which wasn't saying much. Honestly, these days Bucky had trouble remembering anything at all, memories slipping through his hands like water.But of course, when it happened, it had to be at the worst moment imaginable. In a bunker in Siberia.





	Boiling Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So I didn't get to post yesterday because life was being a bitch and I just couldn't finish it. However this one turned out extra long so I hope you enjoy it. I originally planned for this to be like 2k of good ol' desperate Bucky and not much else and then somehow I Civil-War'ed it all up and it just became a hot mess. Which is incidentally what I like to call Stuckony. Anyways.
> 
> This is the promised sequel to "In Rut", one of my earlier Kinktober fics. It doesn't really matter if you haven't read it but it might give you some context for Steve and Bucky's relationship.
> 
> So yeah, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Kinktober Prompt 9: Heat Cycle

Bucky couldn't remember his last rut.

Which wasn't saying much. Honestly, these days Bucky had trouble remembering anything at all, memories slipping through his hands like water. It had taken days spent running away from DC without really knowing why for him to even remember his name.

Bucky.

It stirred up memories of a tiny blonde boy with a bag slung over his shoulder, looking at him in mock outrage. Of a woman with her hand stretched toward him and a soft smile on her face. He knew that smile. He used to see it in the mirror every day before – before.

Bucky groaned, a hand clutched to his stomach as he stumbled through concrete corridors. His mind was all jumbled now. He remembered killing, maiming, moving from place to place and leaving a trail of blood in the snow. Going to sleep, waking up, rinse and repeat.

But he couldn't remember rutting. Which was weird because Bucky's ruts had been like clockwork once, never so much as straying a day off schedule. And while Hydra had kept him in cryo for many years they had still brought him back for weeks, sometimes months at a time. Bucky should have gone into rut at some point.

Which wasn't to say that he wasn't glad that he didn't. He was definitely grateful for small mercies. But still.

“Buck, come on, we can't stay here.”

Bucky didn't protest when Steve grabbed his arm, dragging him through the bunker. His mind felt sluggish and it made something like panic rise in his stomach because they had a mission, he couldn't fail it, he'd get the chair again –

“Bucky!”

Bucky gasped like he came up from underwater, falling heavily against Steve when a cramp twisted his stomach into knots and he doubled over with a loud groan.

“Shit! Are you – oh.”

“Fuck,” Bucky gritted out, eyes tightly shut against the pain. “Shit, fucking dammit, what the fuck?”

He could practically feel Steve's panic from where he was standing. “Bucky, you're... I can smell you.”

“Yeah, I can smell you too, dumbass,” Bucky grumbled through gritted teeth.

“No, not like that, like –“

“_God!”_ Bucky groaned, his knees buckling underneath him when a pulse went through his whole body, leaving him shivering. He reflexively dropped his gun and Steve barely caught him before he could slip to the floor, his legs trembling too much to hold him up and –

Oh.

He couldn't remember his last rut. Didn't mean he couldn't recognize the feeling.

“Steve,” he said and he hated how small and scared his voice sounded but Steve shushed him, slowly lowering him to the floor before he ran over and closed the vault door they had just come through. Bucky groaned pitifully and Steve hurried back, dropping to his knees beside Bucky.

“It's okay, Buck,” Steve said and if he sounded almost as nervous as Bucky felt then Bucky didn't call him out on it. “We'll get you through this. Done it before, right?”

“I haven't –“ Bucky gasped out, whining when he felt his cock throbbing, quickly getting hard in his pants. “Not since they – I haven't –“

“Oh.” When Bucky finally managed to lift his head Steve's eyes were wide. “You – not once? After the serum?”

Bucky shook his head weakly and Steve cursed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“Okay, we, uh. If it's anything like – I mean, for me it was... bad. Pretty bad.”

“What do you mean?” Bucky asked a little hysterically and Steve winced.

“My first rut. After the treatment, I, uh. Went a bit crazy.”

Great. Bucky closed his eyes and tried not to cry. Goddammit, his hormones were already throwing him way off balance.

“But I didn't have you back then!” Steve added quickly, rubbing a hand over Bucky's shoulders. “I'm here. We'll get you through this, I promise, okay?”

Bucky nodded, trying to convince himself just as much as Steve as he turned his face into Steve's neck to breathe him in –

The vault door creaked and Bucky's entire body stiffened.

He felt Steve move more than he saw it, dragging Bucky behind him as he lifted the shield with a savage snarl –

And came face to face with Ironman.

Well, face to faceplate but that hardly mattered.

“Tony?” Steve asked incredulously and Bucky felt his muscles tense even more. “What are you doing here?”

Ironman lifted both his faceplate and hands, looking pretty contrite. “Hey, Cap! I come in peace, honest. I –“ Then he froze, eyes snapping to Bucky. “Is that –“

Bucky couldn't hear the rest of his sentence over the rushing in his ears, his eyes fixed on Ironman's face and the faint odor of – oh my god –

“Put your face plate down!” Steve snapped and Ironman looked confused for a second before he obeyed but Bucky had already caught his scent.

It was a good thing Steve had positioned himself between them because when Bucky leapt forward Steve caught him mid-jump, his grip like steel bands around his waist. Bucky tried to swipe Steve's legs out from under him but his movements were clumsy and frantic and Steve easily subdued him, wrestling him onto the floor where he lay, panting, eyes still fixed on Ironman.

“Jesus Christ,” Ironman said and he sounded strained even through the robotics. Bucky's cock ached at the sound. “You didn't tell me he was –“

“When?” Steve asked and he sounded almost desperate. “When was I supposed to tell you? You were already hunting him down –“

“Oh, I don't know, sometime after the helicarriers maybe!” Ironman snapped. “Or in any of the fucking months after that! What the hell, Steve?”

“I needed to save him!” Steve said and Ironman made an almost hurt sound.

“And you didn't trust me to help you do that?”

Steve averted his eyes guiltily and Ironman cursed, taking a few steps back. Bucky immediately panicked, throwing himself against Steve's hold as a whine rose in his throat. He couldn't let him leave! Bucky needed – 

“Hey, hey, it's okay –“ Steve tried to say, grunting when Bucky elbowed him in the solar plexus as he tried to get free –

“Shit! Okay, Robocop, calm down, I'm not leaving, see?” Ironman stepped closer, hands once again raised defensively. “It's fine, okay?”

“Need you,” Bucky gasped and Ironman recoiled, turning to Steve.

“He's...” Steve grimaced. “It's – the serum, it amplifies –“

“I know damn well what it does,” Ironman snapped. “He was fine yesterday! It shouldn't be this bad –“

“He's – look, Tony, he's never gone through a rut after the serum, okay? Not that he can remember.”

Ironman went very still, looking more like a statue than a robot. “Oh. How do we –“

He was cut off by a scream, echoing through the bunker, and it took a few seconds for Bucky to realize that it was him, he was screaming through the white hot _agony_ that tore through his stomach and for a moment he was sure he was going to be ripped apart –

And then it stopped, abruptly, leaving him gasping for air with tears streaming down his face and a sob hitched in his throat –

“Bucky!” That was Steve and he sounded terrible, like he was in just as much pain as Bucky was. “Buck, come on, come back –“

“I'm here,” Bucky croaked, shivering on the cold floor for a second before Steve pulled him up and into a hug, letting Bucky drape himself over his lap. Bucky groaned, gripping at his stomach to quell the pain but it just wouldn't stop –

“Fuck,” Ironman sighed and Bucky heard his boots clang on concrete as he came closer. “Does it – How do we stop this? Suppressants? The quinjet should have –”

“No,” Steve sighed heavily. “Won't work. He's got to ride it out.”

For a second the only sound in the bunker was Bucky's heavy breathing but then Ironman sighed and reached up to his helmet. Steve's eyes widened.

“Tony, don't –“

And then Bucky heard nothing more because there was his omega, sweaty and beautiful and smelling like everything he'd ever wanted –

This time Steve barely managed to keep his grip on Bucky as he all but thrashed in his arms, needing closer, _closer_ –

But Steve held tight and eventually Bucky slumped down, whining pitifully. “Please, please, please, please –“ fell like a mantra from his lips and he could see the skin around Steve's eyes tighten with sadness.

“Shh, I know it hurts, Buck. I know –“

He heard whirring from his left but it didn't register through the sudden wave of _mine mine mine_ as that wonderful smell suddenly amplified hundredfold, making him weak in the knees as his cock swelled rapidly –

“Fuck!” Bucky gasped, staring up at his omega, standing there in a tight black suit that did nothing to hide his scent. “You – you're –“

“Yeah, I know,” Ironman sighed with a tired smile, getting down on his knees next to Bucky and Steve. Steve's grip tightened to the point of pain and Bucky could hear him suck in a sharp breath.

“Tony –“

“It would help, right?” Ironman – _Tony_ – asked carefully, reaching out to touch Bucky's cheek –

And Bucky _melted,_ leaning heavily into the touch as his eyes slipped closed and his mouth dropped open. “Oooh –“

“I guess it does,” Tony said and Bucky could hear the grin in his voice but also the nervous edge underneath. Bucky blinked his eyes open groggily so he could grab Tony's hand in his, nuzzling the palm before he pressed a soft kiss to it.

“Mine,” he sighed happily and his smile must have looked as dopey as he felt because Tony chuckled at that, his scent finally losing that sour tang of fear.

“I guess,” he said and Bucky reached for him easily when Steve finally loosened his grip on him. Bucky's chest rumbled with a purr as he wrapped his arms around Tony and pulled him close so that he rested on Bucky the same way Bucky was lying on Steve. It made something inside his mind click into place like a bone that he hadn't even noticed was misaligned. He buried his face in Tony's hair, breathing him in and just reveling in that sense of _right_ when it finally clicked.

“Stevie,” he rumbled and felt Steve stiffen at the familiar nickname. “He's ours, isn't he?”

They both tensed against him and Steve huffed out a soft laugh, running a hand through Bucky's hair as he brought up his other arm to wrap around him and Tony both.

“Yeah. He is.”

Tony sighed heavily, patting Bucky on the shoulder. “Surprise.”

Bucky wanted to say more but his stomach suddenly cramped and he squeezed Tony close on reflex, wanting to –

Oh.

His hips hitched up of their own accord and Bucky saw white spots dance in his vision at the feeling. He let out a needy groan, chasing the sensation as his stomach tightened almost painfully, heat pooling in his groin –

Bucky twisted to throw Tony onto his back but Steve intercepted him, holding him back around the shoulders. He groaned in frustration, hips still rutting up against Tony but it wasn't enough –

“Let me! Let me, please, I need him –“ Bucky whimpered pitifully, his cock throbbing hard enough to hurt.

“He's gonna go into full rut soon,” Steve said, his voice sounding like it came from underwater through the haze in Bucky's mind. “You need to get out of here.”

Tony huffed, his arms tightening around Bucky. “Look, Steve, I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but what we had still means a lot to me.”

Bucky forced his eyes open to growl at Steve over his shoulder. Steve didn't even seem to hear him, just kept looking at Tony like a kicked puppy. “Tony, I never wanted – I still –“

“Later,” Tony cut him off brusquely and Bucky wholeheartedly agreed with that, pulling Tony up so he was straddling Bucky's thighs. “I can help him.”

“You don't have to –“

“Look,” Tony said, a sharp edge to his voice. “I know things are kinda fucked up with the Accords and shit but I just found out that my mate apparently comes with a package deal and I'd very much like to make sure that my alpha stops hurting, okay?”

_Tony's alpha._ Bucky's chest thrummed with happiness. He'd never been anyone's alpha before.

“Please,” Bucky mumbled, thrusting up against Tony, his eyes already rolling back into his head. Oh god,_ this_ – This right here,_ this_ was where he was meant to be. Had always been. “Tony...”

“Tony...” Steve echoed him and his voice was so full of awe that it brought Bucky out of the haze just enough to look at both of them. Tony shivered at the sound of Steve's voice and it made some primal part of Bucky bristle with jealousy.

He grabbed Tony tighter, rolling them so he finally had Tony underneath him, hooking his legs over his elbows and settling between them.

“He's gonna be rough, Tony,” Steve said with something like concern and Bucky saw the smirk on Tony's lips as he scoffed.

“I know.” His eyes burned like fire where they settled on Bucky's. “Bring it on, Buckster.”

Bucky was pretty sure he was in love.

He grabbed two fistfuls of Tony's hair, yanking him close into a bruising kiss. Bucky reveled in the punched out sound Tony made as he rocked into him, just enough to quell the heat in his stomach. It felt good to bite at Tony's lips, satisfying the burning urge to leave traces, to mark him, so Bucky tilted Tony's head back and kept going, trailing bites along Tony's jaw, his ears, his neck –

He stopped short when his lips brushed against a scar, drawing back to look at –

“Steve,” he breathed out, his voice shaking at the realization of what exactly he was looking at. “Did you –“

“Yes,” Steve said and Bucky could hear the pride in his voice, the little shit, bragging about his fucking _claim_ –

Bucky snapped. His brain filled with static as his muscles bunched, grabbing fistfuls of Tony's suit and _yanking_ –

“Fuck!” Tony yelped in surprise as the fabric ripped open, straight down the middle. “Holy fuck, that's reinforced kevlar, how –“

He choked on his breath when Bucky manhandled the scraps of fabric off him, leaving his torso and crotch gloriously bare. Bucky hoisted Tony up high enough that he could lean down and get a whiff of that scent where it was strongest. He licked down Tony's cock, trailing down behind his balls and dipping into his hole with a groan, licking that scent right out of him. Tony's thighs jerked.

“Jesus _fuck,_” he breathed and Bucky growled in satisfaction at the wetness between Tony's legs, pulling back up to grab Tony's hips and position himself –

Only for Steve to stop him and Bucky was fucking _done_ with waiting, swiping at Steve with his metal arm only for Steve to catch it easily, twisting it behind his back.

“Condoms!” Steve shouted and Bucky snapped at him with his teeth, his eyes still fixed on Tony panting beneath him.

“Don't have any. Don't need them.”

“Tony!” Steve reprimanded and Tony silenced him with a look.

“He's our mate, right? I'm fine with it if you are.”

“He could knot you! You said you didn't want children!”

Tony sobered at that, his eyes shifting away. “I, um. I can't. Anymore. Even if he knots me, it wouldn't take.”

“What?” Steve looked like Tony had just slapped him. “You never said. Tony –“

“Don't,” Tony snapped, bristling. “I can't have children, there, now you know. If that's a dealbreaker for you then you can just take your fucking friend right here and –“

Bucky gasped fearfully at the prospect of being thrown out, holding onto Tony's hips with a tight grip. “No!“

“Of course it's not a dealbreaker, Tony!” Steve snapped right back. “There are other – I mean, if we ever wanted – and it doesn't mean I love you any less!”

His voice echoed through the concrete bunker in the silence that followed his declaration.

“What?” Tony asked in a small voice and Steve sucked in a breath.

“I – I meant –“

His grip on Bucky loosened and Bucky used his chance to slip out of Steve's grasp and drag Tony into position. Before Steve could stop him again he pushed in with one sure stroke, head snapping up at the pained sound Tony made.

“Okay?” Bucky asked desperately, his hips already pumping forward in a motion he couldn't stop if he tried. “Are you –“

“Fine,” Tony said and Bucky relaxed because Tony seemed to mean it. “All good. You just startled me.”

“Tony,” Steve said meaningfully, carding a hand through Tony's hair, and Tony sighed.

“I know. Just – we'll talk about this later, okay? Let me help him.”

Steve hesitated but finally acquiesced, moving to the side so that Bucky had free reign and grabbing one of Tony's hands in his. Then he nodded at Bucky. “Okay.”

Bucky lurched forward all at once, pushing Tony a few inches across the floor before he found his hold and dragged him back into his arms.

“Fuck,” Tony gritted out but Bucky hardly heard him, pistoning into his body with a loud groan as his cock finally got the friction it needed. Tony was so tight and hot and _wet_ around him, squeezing him and rolling his body in tandem with Bucky's and it was so good he could cry.

Bucky leaned down to press his face into Tony's chest, huffing in his scent with needy breaths that turned more and more whiney the hotter his crotch burned. Tony's hand came up to grab his hair, tugging at the strands.

“It's okay,” Tony gasped, his own face contorted in pleasure at how hard Bucky was fucking him, riding high on his rut pheromones. “Fuck, please, Bucky –“

Bucky heard a small noise to his left and his eyes immediately snapped up to the potential threat only to find Steve staring straight at him, his eyes dark with lust. Bucky felt a shiver run down his spine at the familiar look.

“Stevie –“ he rasped and Steve leaned down to kiss him, open mouthed and dirty, and Tony gasped above them.

“Holy shit! Fuck, that's so hot, oh my god –“

Steve hummed against Bucky's lips, leaning down to give Tony the same treatment and Bucky growled, fingers digging into Tony's hips to remind him that _he_ was the one actually fucking him. Tony responded beautifully, arching into his touch, and Bucky felt something inside him swell with pride at that. He was pleasing his mate.

He startled when he suddenly felt fingers at his stomach but relaxed when he realized it was Steve's hand, wrapping around Tony's cock to give him something to thrust into. Tony moaned and Bucky growled, slapping Steve's hand away to replace it with his own.

Soon enough Bucky could feel his balls draw up as his thrusts slowed down. His spine tingled at the feeling of his knot swelling where he was still pressed intimately against Tony.

“C'mon, give it to me, Robocop,” Tony said, voice shot to hell from his panting and Bucky obeyed without thinking, shoving his knot in so it could swell fully and –

Oh. Oh shit.

It wasn't until he felt a hand in his hair that Bucky realized that he had completely frozen, eyes closed and mouth hanging open. He looked down at Tony reverently, his arms trembling underneath him. “Oh... oh my god...”

“You okay, Buck?” Tony asked softly and shifted, just a little –

And Bucky moaned, hips thrusting forward, and his toes curled with how good it was, just that inch back and forth along his knot, so sensitive, still swelling in that tight, wonderful heat –

He kept going, feeling like he was stripped down to his bones and his entire world had narrowed down to the omega underneath him, that sensation of belonging, like he'd finally come _home_ –

His eyes fell on the scar on Tony's neck and suddenly he couldn't take it, had to lean down and fit his jaw around it and –

Tony yelled wordlessly when Bucky bit down savagely, piercing the skin and drawing blood, and a surge of hormones rushed Bucky's brain, like when he'd first seen Tony but somehow even stronger, filling him to the brim with a buzzing sense of right, yes, right here. This.

His orgasm felt like an afterthought after that, making his hips jerk as it took all of his tension with it. He buried himself as deep as he could, his knot finally swelling fully and locking them together, making them one. Him and his omega. His mate.

He distantly registered Tony coming too, streaks of wetness on both of their chests as Bucky crashed down on top of Tony, barely enough brain power left to roll them over so he wouldn't crush his mate. God, he'd heard so many stories about this but he never would've imagined that this was what it would be like. His mother used to –

The memory crashed over him like a bucket of ice water.

“Bucky?” he heard Steve ask in alarm but Bucky couldn't respond. His body was absolutely frozen in shock and he was suddenly alert and awake, the content haze disappearing in the blink of an eye.

“Bucky?” Tony asked sluggishly, forcing his eyes open to meet Bucky's despairing gaze. He frowned. “Hey, what –“

“I killed your parents.”

Silence. Bucky could only watch in horror as Tony's face went from concern to disbelief to anguish to anger in only a couple seconds.

“What did you say?” Tony asked, voice quiet and dangerous but Bucky could hear the pain, the heartbreak underneath.

“I killed your parents,” he croaked and it should've left his throat bleeding, how much it hurt to say it. Tony sucked in a breath, shaking his head.

“No,” he gasped. “You –“ He turned to Steve who looked like he'd just been punched in the face. “Did you know?”

Steve breathed in shakily. “I didn't know it was him.”

“Don't bullshit me, Rogers!” Tony snapped. “Did you –“ His eyes widened. “That's why you didn't tell me about him. You knew he killed my parents so you –“

Tony moved abruptly and Bucky made a pained noise, holding him still when Tony accidentally jostled his knot. Tony's eyes snapped down and his face went pale.

“I let you –“ He looked like he was going to be sick. “You killed my parents and I let you –“

“I'm so sorry,” Bucky whimpered, clapping a hand over his mouth. “Oh god, I remember doing it. There was a mission, December 16th, 199–”

“Stop!” Tony shouted, kicking out and Bucky reflexively loosened his grip –

And Tony pulled off him.

Bucky distantly heard Tony grunt in pain but it barely registered. He couldn't hear it because he was dropping, oh god, it hurt, it _hurt_ –

“Bucky? Bucky!”

He could still taste Tony's blood on his tongue and the thought made it worse, sent him spiraling because Tony didn't want him and he'd forced it and Tony would leave because Bucky was a fucking monster –

Bucky was bad. Bucky was so so so bad. He hurt and he maimed and he killed and the blood, all that blood –

He was no better than Hydra.

“Bucky, come on, breathe! Please!”

His lungs were constricting but it was nothing compared to the pain in his chest or his knot which was throbbing now even though he'd uselessly wrapped his hands around it. He squeezed it tight but the ache wouldn't go away because after the heat he had been in it just felt wrong wrong _wrong_ –

There were hands on his back and Bucky curled into a ball, trying to make himself small even though he deserved it, deserved to be beaten and shocked and cut open –

And then there were teeth in his neck and his world burst into stardust.

He gasped, flailing even though he still couldn't let go of his knot, throbbing in pain but through it all he could smell his mate, his omega –

He reached out with his free hand, finding flesh and holding on as he struggled to breathe, his heart beating frantically in his chest.

“Fuck,” Bucky heard someone say fearfully. “Did it –“

“I think it worked.” And that was definitely him, his omega, so Bucky pulled him closer, pressing himself against a warm chest as tightly as he could with a pitiful whimper. “Hey, okay. Fuck, that was –“

“I'm sorry,” Bucky gasped. He couldn't remember what for right now but he felt it all the same. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry –“

“Stop,” his mate said harshly and Bucky flinched. “Fuck, I can't do this right now.”

“Tony,” the other voice – _mate_ – said and Bucky could feel how stiffly his omega held himself. _Afraid,_ his brain supplied, so he pulled away, swaying a little on his knees until he found himself collapsing onto the cold floor, one hand still wrapped around his knot and the other clutching his stomach.

“I'm sorry,” he croaked one more time, slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings. His face felt wet with tears and his head hurt almost as much as his cock which – he noticed with a grimace – was still dribbling come. Fucking rut, he remembered that now.

Bucky looked up, blinking the haze out of his eyes to see Tony, sitting on the ground next to him with his head in his hands. He couldn't seem to look at Bucky at all and Bucky's heart sank.

They stayed like that for a long time, long enough for Bucky's knot to go down so he could pull his hands away with a shaky sigh. Nobody said anything.

Bucky startled when he suddenly heard a sniffle next to him. Tony's posture hadn't changed but his shoulders were hitching ever so slightly under the scraps of his suit. Bucky itched to comfort him but he doubted Tony would want him to. Ever, probably.

The thought hurt and Bucky dragged himself into a sitting position, pulling his knees to his chest in a mimicry of Tony. He could see Steve looking between them and met his eyes. His face was heartbreaking.

“I don't –“ Bucky's head whipped around when Tony suddenly spoke but the omega wasn't looking at him, just staring blankly at the wall. “I don't think I can be here right now.”

“Do you want us to leave?” Steve asked quietly and Bucky could see how much it cost him when he so clearly needed to be here to see if Tony would be alright. Bucky could've cried at the sight. This was all his fault.

“I'll go,” he said quietly, pushing himself to his feet, but Tony's hand suddenly darted out to grab his, halting him in his tracks.

Tony looked just as surprised as Bucky that he'd done it, pulling his hand back so fast that he knocked his elbow on the wall. “No,” he said and while there was anger and hurt and betrayal in his eyes Bucky could also see something else. “Stay.”

So Bucky did.

After they had found the dead soldiers and left Zemo to T'Challa they were all standing by the quinjet, carefully not looking at one another.

“You're still fugitives,” Tony said, fiddling with something invisible on his gauntlet. “You're gonna have to find somewhere to stay.”

“T'Challa granted us passage,” Steve said and Tony nodded woodenly.

“Right. Okay.”

He turned to leave and Steve suddenly grabbed his arm. “Tony. I –“

“I can't forgive him,” Tony said, finally looking at Steve even though he was still avoiding Bucky's eyes. “He killed my mom.”

Steve's face twisted with agony. “God, I'm so sorry.”

Tony nodded jerkily, pulling his wrist from Steve's grasp and taking a step back. “You didn't tell me.”

“I swear I wanted to,” Steve said sadly and Tony nodded again.

“Right. I can... I'll choose to believe that.”

Steve breathed out shakily. “I swear to god, the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you –“

“Well, you did a bang up job,” Tony snapped and both Steve and Bucky flinched. Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”

Bucky's eyes caught on a sliver of the bandage Tony had put around his neck and his mouth went dry.

“I can't forgive him,” Tony repeated and when he looked at Steve his eyes suddenly looked hurt instead of angry. “Not yet.”

Steve's breathing hitched and Tony finally looked over at Bucky who felt himself shrink under his gaze.

“We're mated though.” Tony sounded like it pained him to say it. “That has to count for something.”

Bucky wilted under the weight of his own shame. “I never meant to make you feel obligated –“

“I don't,” Tony said and he sounded honest enough. “I understand that... you were a tool and it wasn't your fault. I just –“ He cut himself off, running a hand over his face. “I look at you and all I see is –“

“A monster,” Bucky said quietly. “I get it.”

Tony's eyes snapped up as he shook his head. “No, that's – That's not the problem.”

Bucky tilted his head in confusion and Tony's face twisted.

“I look at you and all I want is to hold you because of these fucking hormones and I can't – I need time to process all of this. Before today I didn't even know I had a second mate.”

Bucky could've sworn his heart stopped. “What?”

“You'll be safe in Wakanda,” Tony said, not looking at either Bucky or Steve, and he sounded like was trying to convince himself with his words. “I'll – I'm gonna –“

“Tony,” Steve said and Tony seemed to crumble, his face falling and chest hitching.

“Don't –“ he said but Steve was already there, pulling him into his arms, and Tony clung to him almost desperately. Bucky watched them with a strange mixture of sadness and hope in his heart until they pulled away and Tony discreetly wiped his face.

“I'll contact you when it's safe,” Tony said and sidestepped Steve's comforting hand on his back as he donned his helmet and slammed the faceplate shut. “Don't try to get in contact with me any time before that. I mean it, Rogers.”

“I'll miss you, Tony,” Steve said quietly and Tony didn't say anything as he took off in a whirl of snow. Bucky watched him until the spot of light faded in the sky, taking half of his heart with it.

“You think he'll call?” Bucky asked quietly, not surprised when Steve grabbed his neck, stroking the fresh bond mark there.

“He will.”

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is. I don't know if I'll do a third part yet but if you guys would be interested in that maybe I'll find a way to sneak it into one of the Kinktober prompts. Leave a comment and tell me what you think :)


End file.
